The direct and spillover effects of a nationwide socio-emotional learning program for disruptive students

TL;DR

This study evaluates a nationwide social-emotional learning program in Chile, finding no overall effect on disruptive students' behavior, possibly due to the high prevalence of severe disruptiveness linked to ADHD.

Contribution

It provides the first large-scale randomized evaluation of a nationwide SEL program in a middle-income country, highlighting contextual challenges.

Findings

No significant overall effect on student behavior

Very disruptive students may reduce program effectiveness

High ADHD prevalence may explain limited impact

Abstract

Social and emotional learning (SEL) programs teach disruptive students to improve their classroom behavior. Small-scale programs in high-income countries have been shown to improve treated students' behavior and academic outcomes. Using a randomized experiment, we show that a nationwide SEL program in Chile has no effect on eligible students. We find evidence that very disruptive students may hamper the program's effectiveness. ADHD, a disorder correlated with disruptiveness, is much more prevalent in Chile than in high-income countries, so very disruptive students may be more present in Chile than in the contexts where SEL programs have been shown to work.